Onsala (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈʊ̂nːˌsɑːla] )[2] is a locality situated in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 11,951 inhabitants in 2010.[1] It is also a 14 km long peninsula on the west coast of Sweden, facing Kattegat, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Gothenburg. It dates back to the age of the vikings and was originally an area devoted to the god Odin, the name being a corruption of the old norse Odin's Sala. In English "The Halls of Odin" [3]

Onsala
Church in Onsala from the 12th century
Church in Onsala from the 12th century
Onsala is located in Halland
Onsala
Onsala
Onsala is located in Sweden
Onsala
Onsala
Coordinates: 57°24′53″N 12°01′21″E / 57.41472°N 12.02250°E / 57.41472; 12.02250
CountrySweden
ProvinceHalland
CountyHalland County
MunicipalityKungsbacka Municipality
Area
 • Total
10.53 km2 (4.07 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2020)[1]
 • Total
12,415
 • Density1,135/km2 (2,940/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

The population is around 12-14,000 with a densely inhabited east coast, mainly consisting of single-family homes. The biggest village is Gottskär, in older days a fishing village, and which today has a few restaurants and a leisure boat harbour. Lars Gathenhielm was born in the old parish of Onsala. He was a Swedish privateer commissioned by the king to raid Danish ships. His wife, Ingela, took over his business as a privateer as a widow. They are interred in a basement crypt beneath the smaller tower of the church. Their white sarcophagi have carved "jolly rogers" at the foot end.

Onsala is also home to the Onsala Space Observatory, the Swedish national radio observatory.

Sports

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The following sports clubs are located in Onsala:

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2005 och 2010" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  2. ^ Jöran Sahlgren; Gösta Bergman (1979). Svenska ortnamn med uttalsuppgifter (in Swedish). p. 19.
  3. ^ "Populärt kaparpar vilar på Odens sal - Halland - Göteborgs-Posten". Archived from the original on 2015-11-22. Retrieved 2015-11-08.